Automatic hog-feeder



R. BUCK. AUTOMATIC HUG FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, |921.

.Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- BUCK.,

' AUTOMATIC H06 FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED EEB. 7, i921. r

1,372,933. Patenma Mar. 29,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

x www H, BUCKb AUTOMATIC HOG FEEDER. A Pmcmom FILED FEB. 1, 1921A Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

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RALPH BUCK, F ST. PARIS, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC BOG-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 443,075.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.' Be it known that I, RALPH Boon, a citizen of the Unite-d States, residing at St.

AParis` in the county of Champaign and Statel of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Automatic Hog-Feeder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hog feeding troughs, and more particularly to a trough especially designed for feeding dry feed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a trough of this character having a plurality of agitating members disposed therein, the agitating members operating to move the feed within the trough to cause the same to descend to the lower portion thereof.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of platforms movable with respect to the trough, the platforms having connection with the agitating means, whereby the weight of the animals on the platforms will cause the operation of the agitating means.

V'Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed., may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings Figure l illustrates a perspective view of a trough constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates an end elevational View; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a transverse sectional view through the trough.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the trough includes a hopper portion comprising the end walls 5 and side walls 6, the side Walls being inclined toward the bottom of the hopper to provide a trough 7 at each side of the hopper providing places for the animals to feed.

The bottom of the hopper which is in dicated at 8, is supported in spaced relation with'the surface on which the device is positioned, so that moisture which may be present on the surface will not enter. the hopper.

Sars 9 extend along the side edges of the bottom S and provide guards to prevent the materia-l or feed within the troughs from being. thrown therefrom, while an animal is eating, and in order that one animal will not lnterfere with the feeding of another animal, a plurality of transverse bars i0 are provided, which divide the troughs into individual feeding sections.

Positioned within the hopper and connect ing the side walls thereof, are the partitionlng members 11, which partition the hopper into a plurality of feed containing compartments, to cause the agitating means within the hopper and compartments to operate with efficiency.

Formed in the end walls of the hopper and the partitioning members 11 at points adjacent the upper ends thereof, are the notches 12 which notches provide seats for the arms 13 that connect the agitating frames 11i, it being understood that a frame 14 is disposed in each compartment of the hopper and normally lies in parallel relation with the side walls thereof, so that when the agitating frames are operated, the saine move toward the central portions of the compartments.

Openings 15 are provided in each of the end walls 5 of the hopper, and in each of the partitioning members, the openings being disposed at a point adjacent to the upper edges thereof, and intermediate the side edges thereof, and provide seats for the rods 16 that connect the centiial agitating frames 17, which normally lie in vertical positions within the compartments of the hopper.

Each of these agitating frames 14: and 17 includes end bars 18 which are connected by parallel spaced bars 19, which construe tion forms a comparatively light agitating means, and one which will readily respond to the movements of the platforms, under the weight of the animals standing thereon.

As before stated these agit/ating frames are connected by means of the arms 13 and rods 16. The rods 20 which have connec tion with the end frames have right angled portions 2l that have connection With the 0perating rods 22, the right angled portions 21 forming crank arms, by mea-ns of which movement of the operating rods 22 will impart a rocking motion to the agitating inembers to cause the same to more -within their compartments.

The lower ends orn the operating,l rods 22 have connection with the controlling,- rods 23 that are pivotally connected to the end Wals of the hopper, at points intermediate their ends, the rods 22 being pivotally connected to the rods 23 at points adjacent the ends thereor` to cause the rods 22 to more when therods are tilted.

Stationary frames 2A- torin a part of the and these frames provide supports e- 'the movable platforms 25, which hare their enter ends pivotally connected to the iranies 24 as at 2G, the side bars 2T oi" the platforms extending to peints adjacent the end Walls'or' the hopper, Where the same have pivotal connection with the rods as by means oithe links 28. Y

rEhese platforms, as clearly Shown bylig. 3 of the drawings are inclined so that when Vthe front reet of an animal are positioned thereon, the weightof the annual will canse the platform to descend, bringing With it the end oi the bar 23 to which the platform is connected. thereby imparting a rocking` motion to the agitating` members supported therein.

in Vthe.operation of the agitatingI means.y the central agitating frames force the inaterial toward the'trongh 7, so that the same may be easil;7 reached by the animal being fed, While the agitating frames le force the feed ltoward the center of the hopper, Where the same is picked up bythe centra-1 agitating member.

Having thus described the invention, what is Claimed as new is l. ln a feeder, a hopper including end Wal and inclined parti inningl members within the hop per providing a pluralt)vv et feed emnpartments, said end walls and partitioning members having cut ont portions disposed at the upper ends thereof, said end 'walls and partitioning members haring' central openings, imitating,` frames betr-:een the partitionsI and end walls. reds connecting adplcent agitating trames, rods being disposed with'n the eut ont portions, Cei ral agitating ramesA` rods toy connecting` adjacent central agitaingr mies, the latter rods being disposed withn in the een l openings, pivoted platforms. and means i conneetinglj the piroted plat- ''rrms to the rods 'to canse the nlaitaiin; trames to pivot within the hopper. d

2. ln a feeder, a hopper ineludinig end walls and inclined side walls, partitioningl members Within the hopper for pxntitionino' the same into a plurnliti,v of compartagitating frames disposed adjacent f side Walls ot' the hopper` central agitatames Within the hopper, means tor (-onneming the agitating frames. pivoted pint forms associated with t 1e hopper. and means connecting' the agritutinfr frames and forms whereby; movement of the platns causes a rocking; movement of the anitating frames.

ln testimoniY that l claim the foregoing; :is inf( own. l have hereto ulixed my signatnre in the presence of two witnesses.

ll ALPH BUCK.

lVitnesses S. A. JENKINS, J. D. VAN CULIN.

side walls, a plurality et 

